In this film, Kirk "earns" the 5-year-mission by hiding the ship under water for no reason and against Scotty's opinion, violating the Prime Directive, making several wrong decisions his crew has to talk him out of, getting his own ship shot to pieces, teaming up with the bad guy and failing to control him, and eventually killing thousands of people in San Francisco.

You just had to remind me, didn't you. And people thought the way he got to the captain's chair in the last movie didn't make sense...